Double sole attachment for knitting machines



Feb. 16, 1937. R. A. GIBBS, JRI, ET AL 2,070,654

DOUBLE SOLE ATTACHMENT FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed March 4, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 L. 2226 !l-" Z n EiilI Zl l I I Ii H $9 h V f I 25 v I I l 58 v I l v I 2 v I 1 A2 L 1 E :2

HJBERT A. (5/555, AND

ST/JNFORD W M- DowELL grwe/wbow 1937- R. A' GIBBS. JR., El AL 2,070,654

DOUBLE SOLE ATTACHMENT FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed March 4, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 AND Swan/Farm W DowsLL- Inven/oni Aflorne Feb. 16, 1937. R. A. GIBBS, JR ET AL 2,070,654

DOUBLE SOLE ATTACHMENT FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed March 4. 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 5" 7 ROBERT A a/sewn.

5 TANFORD WMiaowsu HUM;

Patented Feb. 16, 1937 iJNiTED STATES DOUBLE SOLE ATTACHMENT FOR KNITTING MACHINES Robert A. Gibbs, J12, Greensboro, and Stanford W. MoDow-eil, High Point, N. C.

Appiication March 4,

2 Claims.

This invention relates to means for eeding 1- reenforcing yarn to one side of the sole of a stocking and withdrawing and severing the yarn at the other side of the sole, so that there will be no floating of double sole yarn across the top of the foot portion, thus saving in the amount of yarn used and also permitting the placing of the double sole in a stocking knitted with a ribbed instep, as there will be no floated yarn or loose ends to become entangled in the dial needles or the cylinder needles.

It is an object of this invention to provide a combined yarn clamp and cuter for clamping and cutting a double sole yarn when it is Withdrawn from knitting position during the revolution of a cylinder of the knitting machine and also providing means whereby the yarn can be introduced to knitting position and released by the clamp, all during one complete revolution of the cylinder.

It is another object of the invention to provide a combined yarn clamp and cutter which has its lower end disposed just inside the cylinder needles so that when the double sole yarn is withdrawn it will be passed into the clamp and cutter at which time the cutter and clamp will be closed to sever and hold the double sole yarn, and means are also provided whereby when the double sole yarn is again introduced to knitting position during the same revolution of the cylinder that the clamp and cutter will be opened to release the double sole yarn at the same time the yarn feed finger for feeding the same is lowered to feed the double sole yarn to the needles.

Some of the objects of the invention having been stated, other objects will appear as the description proceeds when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:-

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a knitting machine with our apparatus attached thereto and showing portions of the latch ring, sinker ring, cylinder, and main pattern drum in section;

Figure 2 is a sectional plan view taken along line 22 in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a sectional plan view taken along line 3-3 in Figure 1, showing the latch ring and sinker ring;

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional View taken along line 44 in Figure 3 Figure 5 is a sectional view taken along line 5-5 in Figure 3, showing the combination clamping and shearing means in an open position;

Figure 6 is a view similar to the central por- 1935, Serial No. 9,256

tion of Figure 3 showing the lower portion of the combination cutting and clamping means in section, while clamping the end of the double sole yarn with said yarn being out of engagement with the needles;

Figure 7 is a sectional view taken along line ll in Figure 6; I

Figure 8 is an enlarged view of the left-hand portion of Figure 6, showing the double sole yarn in clamped position;

Figure 9 is a view similar to Figure '8 showing the shearing and clamping means in an opened position;

Figure 10 is a sectional view taken along line illle in Figure 2;

Figure 11 is an elevation of a stocking made in accordance with our invention.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, the numeral Ill denotes the cylinder of a knitting machine upon which is mounted the lower portion I! of a sinker ring, which has mounted therein a plurality of sinkers [2. The portion H is secured to the cylinder l0 and rotates or oscillates with the cylinder l0 and an upper cam ring I3 is mounted on top of lower portion II which is adapted to confine the sinkers and to operate the same when the cylinder H] moves.

A plurality of needles I4 is mounted in the cylinder it which are adapted to cooperate with the hook needles l5 and cast-off needles l5a when the rib portion of the stocking is knitted. These needles [5 and I5a are mounted in dial cap I6 which is mounted for rotation on dial shaft IT. The upper portion of dial cap I6 is denoted by the reference character l8 and has conventional cams therein for the operation of the dial needles. Dial shaft IT is mounted for rotation in supports 26 and. 2! and has mounted on the upper end thereof a suitable cam 22 which has projections 23 and 24 thereon for operating the double sole knitting attachment which will be presently described. The upper portion I8 of the dial cap has a suitable rod 25 secured thereto which is slidably mounted in support 20 and is connected at its upper end to a plate 26, said plate 26 being loosely confined around the upper portion of shaft I1. This plate 26 has a set screw 21 mounted therein, (see Fig. 2) which is. adapted to contact a lever 28 to support 2!. This lever causes the shaft l1 and its associated parts to be'raised or lowered at times during the knitting operation of a stocking.

The above described parts are conventional with the exception of cam 22, but it is deemed necessary that they be described in order to more properly disclose the invention.

Support 2i has a plate 39 secured thereto by any suitable means such as stud bolt 3| penetrating slot 32, A vertically disposed stud bolt 33 has its lower end threadably secured in plate '39 and has confined therearound a sleeve 35 by any suitable means such as set screw 36. Loosely'mountedaround the" lowerportion of sleeve 35 is lever 33, said lever. 3'! having a slot 38 in the side thereof into which a pin" 39 projects.

The pin 39 is secured in the enlarged portionof sleeve 35 and limits theclockwise rotation of I t a lever 31, (Fig.2).

The upper portion of sleeve has secured thereto a leaf spring 40 by any suitable means such as screw 4| and the other end of said spring 49 isadapted to contact the side of lever 3? at all times, (Fig. 2), to normally force the lever 37 in a clockwise direction so that its end will engage the upper portion of the yarn clamping and cutting means which will be presently described, Since the sleeve v55 is made adjustable on stud bolts 33 by means of set screw 36, it is evident thatthe adjustment as to the amount of clockwise rotation 'of lever 3'1, which.

'46 it is evident that adjustment can be made as f the 'pin 42.

to the position. of member 45 with relation to.

lever 37. a

The short leg of L-shaped member 45' contacts the lever 41 of yarn shearingand clamping means 48, said lever being pivoted as at 49 to fixed shearing-n ember 59. (Figs. 1 and 8.) The shearing member 59 is secured as at 51 to lever 52 and a movable shearing member 53 is also pivotally mounted as at 5! adjacent shearing member 59. 'A flexible clamping member 54 is likewise clamped or secured as at 5} adjacent the movable shearingrnember'53. It is, therefore, seen that each time one of the projections 23 ,or24 of cam 22 rides beneath the pin 42 that the lever 31 will be caused to rotate a slight amount in a clockwise direction (Fig. 2) thereby operating the member 41 and causing this member, to be rotated about point 49 in a clockwise manner, (Fig. 5). 'When this is done-the lower end of lever 4'1, which is engaging a 'slot53a in the top of movable shear 53, will cause'the shearsto open in the manner shown. in Figure5 to allow'the" yarn to be engaged or to be released, depending upon which one of the raised portions 23 or 24 are engaging It should be noted that a suitable spring is mounted around the bolt 49 and has one end thereof engaging the upper portion of movable shear 53 and its other end engaging the hub of member 59 thereby causing the shearing and clamping means to normally remain closed when the cams 23 and 24 are not disposed beneath the pin 42.

The yarn shearingfand clamping means 49 are secured to the lever 52.bymeans of bolt 5l'which penetrates a suitable slot 52a in lever 52. It is evident that the lower ends of the yarn clamping and shearing means can be adjusted by varying the position of the bolts 5! in slots 52a. Lever 52 is pivotally secured as at H, to latch ring 62,

said latch ring being pivotally mounted onlatch ring bracket 63 by means of.bolt 64.

Pivotally mounted as at 65 to latch ring bracket 63, is a lever 66, said lever 66, having its right-hand end (see Fig. 1), normally contacting the upper left-hand portion of lever 52.

The left-hand end of lever 69 has a shoulder screw 91 secured therein which penetrates a suitable slot 68 in vertically disposed link 99. Se-' cured on link 99 directly below the end of lever Figure 1, that the point 5! about which lever 52 is pivoted is above the line of force which acts 1 through points 55 and 12 due to the tension of spring H; therefore, in the position shown, the spring ll will normally force the right-hand end of lever 52 and the combination shears and clamp on the end thereof to a lowered position. In order to limit the clockwise movement of lever 52 about point 5! or to adjust the lower end of the shearing and clamping means 48 at a desired height a set screw 13' is provided. Another set screw "64 which, has its end contacting the set screw 13 will holdthe set screw 13 in the posi.

tion to which it has been set.

The lower end of set screw 13 normally con--' tacts the upper surface of latch ring 62. a It is evident that should one desire to raise the shearing and clamping means 48 entirely out of the way of the latch ring, that this could be done by manually rotating the right-hand end of lever 52 in a counterclockwise manner, (Fig. l) When the line of force through points 65 and I2 falls above point 6i, due to the rotation of the member 52, the spring ll will tend to hold the lever 52 in a raised position or to rotate in a counterclockwise direction. A cam plate 15, having a slot therein, is secured to the side of lever 52 by means of a screw 16 andthe lower surface a of this cam plate is adapted'to contact the back of link 17, said link 'l'l having a brush l8 in the end thereof and the other end of link 11 being pivoted as at '19 to a bracket 89,.which bracket is secured to latch ring 62. The end of brush 18 is adapted to rest at about the same height (Figs. 1 and 3), as the top of the cylinder needles, and as the cylinder rotates this brush will cause all of the severed ends of the yarn to be pulled in one direction thereby preventing entangling of these loose ends in the needles which would interfere with the knitting operation. A

suitable spring 8! is secured to link 11, the

other end of said leaf spring contacting the side '7 or" latch ring 62 to resiliently hold the back of member 11 againstcam plate 15.

By referring to Figure 1 it is seen that the lower end of link 99 is pivoted as at to a bracket 86 which bracket is secured as at 81 to thrust" bar 88. The lower end of thrust bar 88 normally.

contacts the surface of main'pattern drum 39 or the cams 99 or 92 which are fixed thereon. The upper end of this thrust bar operates a yarn finger 93 which is pivoted as at 94in the latch ring bracket 63. The finger 99 is conventional ing courses, the yarn willbe introduced. again and fed for the same length and again withdrawn and clipped.

While the double sole yarn is being fed to the stocking or while the portion of the stocking which is to contain the double sole yarn is being knitted, the combination shearing and clamping means and its associated parts, assume the position as shown in Figure 1.

The yarn 95 is fed to the stocking through the finger 93 and it is evident that when this yarn is desired to be introduced into the stocking that the right-hand end of the finger 93 is allowed to move downwardly to cause the strand of yarn to cross the path of the needles Hi. In Figure 6, the strand 95 is shown clamped in the lower portion of the combination yarn feeding and clamping means 48, but in this position the finger 93 is in raised position, so that the yarn will pass over the upper portion of the needles I4 (see Fig. '7). When it is desired that the needles engage this yarn, the finger 93 is allowed to move downwardly and this will cause the strand 95 to pass between two of the needles I 4 and thereby be knitted into the stocking. Of course immediately after the yarn is engaged by the needles, then a raised portion 24 will pass beneath the pin 42 to cause the clamping means to be opened and to release the end of the yarn 95. When it is desired that the yarn be removed, the finger 93 will be raised again to an elevation where the yarn 95 will not be engaged by needles l4 and at the same time the cam or raised portion 23 will move under pin 42 to cause the yarn clamping means 48 to open to allow the yarn to pass between the clamping and shearing means in the manner shown in Figure 5.

This finger 93 is caused to oscillate up and down by means of the upper end of thrust bar 88. The thrust bar 88 has a projection 88a, on the edge thereof which contacts lower portion II of the sinker ring or the cam 91 which is secured thereon by any suitable means such as screws 98.

Figure 3 shows the cam 91 extending approxiinately one-half the way around the member H and it is evident that with a cam of this length that the double sole yarn will be fed to about one-half of the course in the stocking. When the cam 91 passes beneath the projection 880,, the finger 93 will be raised upwardly by the upper end of thrust bar 88 to cause the yarn to be withdrawn from the needles and fed to the combination shears and clamp 48, which will clamp and cut the yarn. When the projection 88a. is contacting the periphery of a member I I, the finger 93 will be lowered into the position shown in Figure l, and the clamping means will release the yarn immediately after it has been lowered and engaged by the needles. Projection 24 of cam 22 operates the member 48 to release the yarn 95, whereas, projection 23 causes the lower end of member 48 to open again to receive the yarn as finger 93 is raised to withdraw it from the knitting. The raising and lowering of thrust bar 88 by means of cam 98 or 92, also raises and. lowers the cutting and clamping means on lever 52. When thrust bar 88 is disposed on cam 98 or cam 92, the yarn feeding finger 93 will be raised. Also, the right-hand end of lever 52 in Figure 1, carrying the yarn clamping and cutting apparatus, will be in raised position, but not to the extent where the lines of force of spring II will be above pivot 6|. This causes spring H to force the parts to the position shown in Figure 1 when the lower end of thrust bar 88 is not supported by a cam such as 98 or 92.

Figure 11 shows a stocking 89 made in accordtnce with our invention having a welt I00, a heel I83, top ribbed portion HJI, a body portion Hi2, a foot portion I84, and a toe portion 85. During the knitting of the parts I80, NH and part of the body portion I02, the thrust bar 88 is riding on top of cam 90 of main pattern drum 89.

This of course will cause the upper end of thrust bar 88 to raise the finger 93 so that the double sole yarn will be withdrawn from the stocking and also cause projection 88a to be high enough to miss cam 97. When the point B88 is reached, the main pattern drum has rotated to a point to where the lower end of thrust bar 88 will fall off cam 98 to allow the finger 93 to introduce the double sole yarn into the stocking. The yarn 95 will continue to be fed until the point I8! is reached and at this time the lower end of thrust bar 88 will again be raised upwardly by means of cam surface 92 and will remain in this position until the heel portion I83 is knitted. Then again when point I88 is reached the thrust bar 88 will fall off the cam 92 and allow the double sole yarn 95 to be introduced to the foot portion of the stocking.

It should be noted that while the portion of the stocking in which double sole yarn 95 is being knitted, that the upper portion of thrust bar 88 and its projection 88a are at the same elevation as shown in Figure l, and as the sinker ring it rotates, thrust bar 88 will be caused to rotate back and forth, each revolution. While the upper end of this bar is pushed backwardly by the cam surface 91, engaging the projections 88a,

the finger 93 will be raised to cause the yarn 95 to move upwardly above the hooks of needles [4. At the same time the cam projection 23 will operate the lever 31, lever 41, and movable shearing blade 53 to cause the shears to open and allow the yarn to pass therebetween in the manner shown in Figure 5. When the cam portion 23 has moved from beneath pin 42, a member 41 and its associated parts will snap back to closed position under the pressure of spring 60, thereby causing the shears to cut and the clamping means to clamp the yarn 95 and hold it in position until the cam surface 24 rides beneath the pin 42 to cause the yarn to be released.

Just before the cam portion 24 rides beneath the pin 42 however, the cam 91 has moved from beneath the projection 88a and the finger 93 has been allowed to introduce the yarn again to needles 14. It is seen by referring to Figures 1, 5, 6, '7, 8 and 9, that a cavity |8a is provided in the top of plate l8 in which the lower end of the shearing and clamping means 48 is allowed to rest. The purpose of this cavity is to insure that the yarn will not hang on the shears before it enters them. That is, if the shears were resting directly on top of the plate l8, when the yarn was raised upwardly by finger 93, there would be a tendency for the yarn to hang on the ends of the members 50 and 54 unless these members were milled off to make an absolute fit on the top of this plate, so that there would be no noticeable break at the junction. Since the lower end of these members rest in the cavity, the yarn spans this cavity and it first touches the fixed shearing blade 50 and clamping member 54 a substantial distance up from the lowermost end of the shears and yarn 95 is in a position to be sheared and clamped, even if it is not tive sense only, and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being set forth in the appended claims. a

We claim: 1. In a knitting machine having a frame, and

a cylinder having cylinder needles and a dial cap 7 having dial i needles and a vertically disposed dial shaft for operating said dial needles and a main pattern-drum and push rods operated by the said main pattern drumysaid dial cap having a radially disposed slot in its upper surface extending to the periphery of the dial cap, a lever pivotally mounted intermediate its ends on said frame and having one end thereof extending above said slot and inside the circle defined by a the cylinder needles, a second lever pivoted intermediate its ends and having one end adapted main pattern drum and having its upper end to engage the other end of said first lever to raise the end thereof which extends above and inside the needle circle, a push rod operated by said connected to one end of said second lever, a combined clamp and cutter mounted on the end of said first leverdisposedwithin the needle circle and having its lower end projecting into said cavity, means operable by the dial shaft for opening and closing said combined clamp and cutter twice upon each revolution of the dial shaft, upward movement of said push rod associated with said second lever being adapted to move'the second lever on its pivot and thereby raise the end of the first lever disposed within the needle circle to thereby remove the clamp and cutter from the path of the means operated by the dial shaft for opening and closing said clamp and cutter.

2. In a knitting machine having a cylinderand dial each equipped with needles, a dial shaft and a main drum, a combined clamp and cutter for clamping and cutting a re-enforcing yarn as it is withdrawn from the cylinder needles and for releasing theyarn as it is again fed to the needles during a complete revolution of the cylinder and comprising an arm pivoted intermediate its ends and having one end extending above and across a projection of the cylinder needle circle and having said clamp and cutter supported on said one end thereof, a pushv rod controlled by the main drum, a second lever pivoted intermediate its ends and having one end engageable by a raised push rod to cause the other end of said second leverto engage the other end of the pivoted arm for raising the clamp and cutter, means normally holding said pivoted arm to position the lower end of said clamp and cutter at a point immediately inside the circle defined by the cylinder needles, and means driven by the dial shaft for intermittently operating the clamp and cutter to open the same for the reception of the withdrawn yarn and for closing the same for cutting and clamping the yarn when it. is with- I drawnand for also opening the clamp for releasing the yarn when it is again fed to the needles.

ROBERT A. GIBBS, JR. STANFORD W. MCDOWELL. 

